Variable speed transmission mechanism



4 Sheets-Sheet l E. GEssNER Filed Nov. 2, 1931 Jan. 17, 1933.-

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM @n QN( NM.. KM..

mmf

INVENTOR @wwf se Graef M v-Mj ATTORNEYBSf Jan. 17, 1933. E. GEssNr-:R l 1,894,397

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Nov. 2, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 17, '1933, E. GEssNL-:R

I VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 2, 1931 Patented Jan. 17, 1933 ,l UNITED l STATES ERNST GEssNEE, E woEcEs'rEE, MASSACHUSETTS VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Application filed November 2, 1931. Serial No. 572,520.

This invention relates to transmission mechanism by the use of Which different rotative speeds may be selectively obtained. The invention relates more particularly to the type of variable speed transmission mechanisrn shown in my prior Patent No. 1,797,982, issued to me March 24, 1931.

. It is the general' objecto'f my present invention to provide certain improvements in variable speedV transmission mechanism of the type shown in my prior patent, by Which improvements the driven'member is permitted to over-run the'driv'ing memberunder certain operating conditions. Such conditions frequently arise When my transmitting Vmechanism is used in an automobile drive and my invention permits the advantages of free-Wheeling to be attained. y l

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawings, in Which Fig. 1 is a'sectional side velevation `of one end portion of my improved mechanism; l v Fig. 2-isfa sectional end: elevation, taken along the'line 2-2 in Fig. 1V; f I' Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the opposite Vend mechanism; f y Y l l Fig. 4 is asectional endelevation, taken along the line 4 4 in Fig.'3; n

Fig. 5'is a detail sectional View of a modified construction; y

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation,`taken along the line 6-6in Fig. 5v; A I f Fig. 7 is a Side elevation, partly in section, Showing a further modification; Fig. 8 is a sectionalend elevation, taken along the line I8,--8 in Fig. 7; Y

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional vievv` of a further modification, and

portion of my transmission 40 Fig. 10 is a partial side elevation, looking in the direction of thel arroWlO in Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,1 -have Shown certain parts of a transmission mechanism of the kgeneral type appearing vmy former Patent No. 1,7 97 ,982.` These parts include a driving shaft 20, a driven'shaft 21 and an enclosing frame 22, Within Which the shafts and 21 are rotatably mounted.

A carrier 24 is secured to the driving shaft 20 and is provided With a plurality'` of radially mounted rods `or shafts 25, extending loutward through openings 26 (Fig. 2) in the carrier 24. A series of bevelv pinions 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 are mounted to rotate in unison on each radial rod or shaft in each 55 opening 26. These bevel pinions are preferably formed on a ycommon hub -or bearing portion and may be of different diameters, as indicated in Fig. 1. f n

The outer bevel pinions may be selec- 60 tivelyengaged by bevel gears 36 or 37, formed on the inner Side Walls of afcasingl 40 rotatable Within the enclosing `frame 22. The casing 40 has a hub portion 4 1 rotatable in a bearing 42 formed on the head 43 of the 65 frame 22. 'K

The driving shaft 20 preferably extends beyond the carrier 24 and has an end portion 45 supported in a bearing in the4 hub 41 rof the casing 40. `:The driven shaft 21 extends 70 into a recess 4 6 in the hub 41.

The hub 41.is provided with an annular groove47 receiving the inwardly projectin ends of yoke members 48, by Which -the hu 41 and casing40 may be shifted axially rela- 75 tively to the shafts 20 and 21, thereby causing the bevel gears 36 or 37 to selectiv'elyeny gage the bevel pinions 30.

The bevel pinionsl 31 to 34 engage bevel l gears V51,to v54 which are formed on the ends 30 Aof sleeves 55 to 58 mounted Within the frame 22 and concentric with the driving shaft 20.

Suitable anti-friction bearings 'and' 61 may beprovided for the sleeves55 to 58, the bearings 61`receiving the end thrust` on the gears 85 '.51 to 54.

[The construction thus `far 4described isl in general substantially vSimilar y to the construction shown in my priorfpatent above designated. v

` Referring to Figs.v 'and f4,4 the driving shaft 2O issupported at its left hand end in a bearing 63 on the frame'22, 'and additional bearings 64 are provided for the sleeves 55 yto V53. Ring gears 71 to 74 are fixed to'the left "95 hand ends of the sleeves55 to 58 and may be engaged by gear teeth ona block` 7 5, slidable in guidevvays 76 (Fig. 4.) in the' frame 22.

An actuating rod 77 isprovided for the 'blockl 75, by which the teeth ofthe block may 100 Azo be caused to engage any one of the ring gears 71 to 74. When thus engaged, the corresponding bevel gears 51 to 54 will be held 'from rotation and the corresponding pinions 31 to 34 will roll on this Xed bevel gear as the driving shaft rotates the carrier 24.

This will cause the bevel pinions to be rotated at a definite speed, producing corresponding rotation of the gear 36 or 37 engaged thereby and thus positively rotating the driven shaft 21 at a predetermined'speed'v formed at the end of a spring plunger mounty ed for radial movement in a bearing frame 82 and yieldingly pressed inward by .a coil spring 83. A roll 84 is provided in the forked upper end of each plunger 81 and these rolls engage the upper edge of a bar 85 slidable in guideways on the bearing frame 82. The bar 85 may be actuated by a hand lever 86 mounted on a fixed pivot 87.

rIhe barv85 is provided with a depressed portion or recess 88 which may be brought into alignment with any one of the rolls 84.

VWhen thusy positioned, the corresponding pawl or plunger 81 is free yto move inward and to engage the ratchet teeth on the associated ring gear. The pawl 81 will then positively prevent rotation of the ring gear in one direction, but free rotation ofthe .gear

Ain the opposite direction will be permitted. iConsequently the driving shaft 20 will positively rotate the driven shaft 21 at a predetermined speed ratio but the driven shaft 21 .is permitted to rotate freely any higher speed. i v

The driving mechanism shown in my prior patent is thus adapted for use in automobiles `to effect the so-called free-wheeling, but gn iyjimprovemeiits are not limited to this particular use. Y

In place ofthe ring gear 'and sliding .toothed block, I may substitute the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which a ring 90 is provided with a ratchet portion 91 and V with an annular recess orbrake-drum 92v in y-co `which a brake-'band 93 is positioned; Any

convenient device may be used for selectively ytightening the brake-band corresponding to a selected ring 90, it being understood that aseries of such rings are` provided 'correspondingto the ring gears 71 to 74. For

a detailed disclosure of suitable brake-apply fingmechanism', reference is made to my prior patent above identified.

When the bevel gear 51 is held from rotation, the gear ratio is` such that the. direc* tionof rotation of the driven member 21'w1ll 102 and 103, facing in opposite directions,

and with two pawls 104 and 105, also facing in opposite directions.

The sliding bar 107,4 corresponding to the bar 85 previously described, is provided with an auxiliary` recess` 108 which may be positioned to cause either' pawl 104 or 105 to become operative andthe other pawl inoperative, according to the engagement ofthe pinipns 30 (Fig. 1) withVV the bevel gears 36 or 8 Y Y The recess 108 is preferably long enough so '1 that both pawls 104 and 105 may be released, thus locking the gear 101 from movement in both directions when desired. f

In Figs. 9 and10, I haveindicated that the. i

gear 101 may be further provided with a "99 brake drum portion 110 andbrake-band 111, as previously described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6. It will also be `understood that pinions 112 (Fig. 8) may be provided,

as in' my previous patent, by which thering "1f-- gears may beV positively rotated, thus affording additional speed ratios or through which. power may be takenoff from the ring gears if desired. n

Having described several forms of my improved transmission mechanism, 'it will be seen that I have provided in leachformfor selective over-running of the driven member when so desired, and that in the case of the gear` 51 and pinions. 31'-, I have provided vfor selective over-running in either direction,

according to the setting of the bevel'gea: cas- Ving 40. The transmission mechanismshown vmounted onsaid driving shaft,radial-shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel pinion mounted to rotate about' the axis of eachradialishaft,`bevel .gears mounted at each side of saidbevel pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of saidV bevel gears and carrier, driving connections between said bevel gears and said .driven shaft, a series of additional bevel pinions mounted, on each radial shaft and rotatable in unison with said first-named bevel pinions, Y

bevel gears engaging said additional bevel pinions, A,concentric sleeves supporting vsaidl 130 last-named bevel gears, and selective means to hold one of said sleeves from rotation in one direction but permitting free rotation in the other direction, the remainng sleeves and supported bevel gears being left free to rotate in either direction.

2. A transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a carrier mounted on said driving shaft, radial shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel pinion mounted to rotate about the axis of each radial shaft, bevel gears mounted at each side of said bevel pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of said bevel gears and carrier, driving connectionsloetween said bevel gears and said driven shaft, a series of additional bevel pinions mounted on each radial shaft and rotatable in unison with said first-named bevel pinions, bevel gears engaging said additional bevel pinions, concentric sleeves supporting said last-named bevel gears, selective means to hold one of said sleeves from rotation in one direction but permitting free rotation in the other direction, and additional selective means effective to prevent rotation of said sleeves in either direction.

3. A transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a carrier mounted on said driving shaft, radial shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel pinion mounted to rotate about the axis of each radial shaft, bevel gears mounted at each side ofv said bevel pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of said bevel gears and carrier, driving connections between said bevel gears and said driven shaft, a series of additional bevel pinions mounted on each radial shaft and rotatable in unison with said first-n amed bevel pinions, bevel gears engaging said additional bevel pinions, concentric sleeves supporting said last-named bevel gears, selective means to hold one of said sleeves from rotation in one direction but permitting free rotation in the other direction, and additional selective means effective to prevent rotation of said sleeves in either direction, said additional means comprising a brake-drum and a brakeband engageable therewith.

4. A transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a drivenV shaft, a carrier mounted on said driving shaft, radial shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel .pinion mounted to rotate about the axis of each radial shaft, bevel gears mounted at each side of said bevel .pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of said bevel gears and carrier, driving connections between said bevel gears and said driven shaft, a series of additional bevel pinions mounted on each radial shaft and rotat able in unison with said first-named bevel pinions, bevel gears engaging said additional bevel pinions, concentric sleeves supporting said last-named bevel gears, ratchet wheels on said sleeves, pawls selectivelyengageable with said ratchet wheels and permitting free rotation of said wheels in one direction when thus engaged, springs to move said pawls to engaging position, and manually yoperable means for releasing a selected pawl for movement by its associated spring to engage its associated ratchet Wheel.

5. A transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a carrier mounted on said driving shaft, radial shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel pinion mounted to rotate about the axis of each radial shaft, bevel gears mounted at each side of said bevel pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of said bevel gears and carrier, drlvingy connection-s be tween said bevel gears and said driven shaft,

a series of additional bevel pinions mounted gagmg position, and manually operable" means for releasing a selected pawl for movement by its associated spring to engage its associated ratchet wheel, each pawl having av roll associated therewith and said manually operated means comprising a slidable bar having a roll-receiving recess in one portion thereof.

6. A transmission mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a carrier mounted on said driving shaft, radial shafts mounted in said carrier, a bevel pinion mounted to rotate about the axis of each radial shaft, bevel gea-rs mounted at each side of said bevel pinion and selectively engageable therewith by relative axial movement of said bevel gears and carrier, driving connections between said bevel gears and said driven shaft, a series of additional bevel pinions mounted on each radial shaft and rotatable in unison with said vfirst-named bevel pinions, bevel gears engaging said additional bevel pinions, concentric sleeves supporting said ylast-named bevel gears, oppositely facing ratchet wheels mounted on one of said sleeves, pawls selectively engageable with said ratchet wheels, and means to cause neither, either, or both of said pawls to engage said lratchet wheels, whereby said sleeve may be held from free rotation in a selected direction or in both or neither directions.

7. The combination in a transmission` mechanism as set forth in claim 6, in which each pawl has a roll associated therewith, and

iso

blebar having a roll-receiving recess 'in One 4prton thereof and in which said recess is long enongh to simultaneously receive the rolls ontWo adjacent paWls.

5 In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

VERNST Geleen/13R.` 

